This invention relates to control switch assemblies, and more particularly, to a digitally rotatable control switch assembly, which is adapted for use in an electric appliance capable of multiple mode operation wherein each mode may contain a range of differing values.
A wide increase in the use of consumer-operated convenience appliances has occurred in recent years, and an increased adaptibility of these appliances has imposed additional requirements for the control systems or switches utilized in these appliances. Due to the increased sophistication of these appliances, a need has arisen for improved switches capable of controlling use of these machines through a full range of their operation. Additionally, even complicated appliances adapted for consumer use should have controls which are simple to operate.
For example, improvements in consumer appliances such as hand-held hair stylers have increased the need for more complex control switches to operate same. Simple on-off switches have been inadequate for controlling hand-held hair stylers for some time. Multiple position switches have been developed which provide hand-held hair stylers with high air flow capability for drying hair, and with low air flow capability for styling hair. Further, providing increased wattage in hair stylers has allowed more heat to be generated for faster drying of a user's hair. However, while added wattage is desirable for faster drying, it may have drawbacks where styling is concerned. Therefore, multiple separately and cooperatively operable heating elements have been developed for hair stylers, thus necessitating switches engineered to control the increasingly complex machines.
In addition to these developments, the types of fans utilized with these appliances have changed over the years from radial flow fans to transverse flow fans, and more recently, to axial flow fans. The recent introduction of axial flow fans has allowed the shape of hair styler-dryers to be changed by eliminating the necessity for a handle extending perpendicularly to the flow of air such as found in stylers utilizing a transverse flow fan. With use of transverse flow fans, elongate in-line movable type control switches, such as is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,839,614, issued Oct. 1, 1974 to the assignee of the present application, were conventionally positioned in a hollow area in the styler handle. However, the elimination of the elongate handle in axial flow fan type hair stylers has increased the need for an improved control switch.
It is therefore an object of the present invention, generally stated, to provide an improved digitally rotatable control switch assembly for an electric appliance operable in a plurality of changeable modes.
It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide an improved, more compact, rotatable control switch assembly for a hair styling appliance.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a rotatable control switch assembly adapted for use in a hair styling appliance of the axial flow fan type wherein the rotation of a single control switch knob provides digital control for both fan speed and heating element wattage output.